Bones were scattered along the outer perimeter.
Most had already lost their flesh. Rib cages rested against the base of the wall, mixed with torn clothing and pieces of blackened skin. A few skulls lay farther from the entrance, their surfaces cracked or pierced by small holes.
The concrete surrounding the vehicle portal was in a worse condition.
Dark stains covered portions of the road. Some were already faded under months of weather, while others remained thick inside the cracks.
Dmitri raised his binoculars.
Bullet marks dotted the wall beside the entrance. Several holes could also be seen on the ground, albeit fewer and muddled in texture.
Most were concentrated at the height of a human torso and head.
"Squad leader," Echo One-One whispered. "This place’s nuts. I think we should retreat now."
Traces of bullet wounds were not normal. And in a nuclear power plant facility like this, finding such evidence was extremely concerning.
"One-Three, cover our retreat."
Dmitri lowered his binoculars.
"One-One, fall back first. One-Two, stay close to the channel."
The Scouts acknowledged.
Echo One-Three turned toward the outer perimeter, keeping his suppressed MP7 raised while the others began retracing their path.
Dmitri remained near the center with Rex.
The dog’s body remained tense, its ears still pointed toward the vehicle portal.
"Rex. Heel."
Rex immediately moved beside him, although his attention remained on the wall.
The second Attack Dog did the same when its handler called it back.
"Squad leader. To your eleven," Echo One-Three warned. "Something’s going on."
Dmitri followed the direction he indicated.
A low vibration came from somewhere beyond the concrete barrier. Dust fell from the recessed vehicle portal.
The Scouts tightened their grips on their weapons.
"Keep moving," Dmitri ordered. "Do not break formation."
Echo One continued retreating.
One-One kept his MP7 raised toward the outer wall, watching the vehicle portal while walking backward.
They had barely withdrawn fifty meters when a mechanical lock disengaged behind them. The partially opened section of the vehicle portal rose another meter.
Darkness occupied the space beyond it. Something moved inside.
Echo One-One paused. "Unknown object emerging from the entrance!"
"Maintain distance," Dmitri answered. "One-Three, keep it covered."
Echo One-One quickened his pace.
Several red sensor lights appeared inside the opening.
A machine stepped out.
It stood on four short mechanical legs, its armored body extending close to the ground. A narrow weapon assembly occupied its upper section, while several lenses turned independently beneath the front plating.
The machine stopped outside the portal.
A loud mechanical voice came from its body.
"DDLS-B-ASB-NPP-255 deployed."
"Unauthorized personnel has been detected approaching the facility."
"Initiating biological screening. Please remain stationary."
"What do we do?" Echo One-One turned to Dmitri.
Neither hostile nor friendly, Dmitri frowned.
The weapon had not yet aimed at them. Suddenly turning their backs on an unknown armed machine could provoke it.
"Do as it says," he ordered.
The Scouts remained still. Both Attack Dogs stood beside their handlers.
One lens turned toward Echo One-One. A thin red light passed across his body.
It moved to Echo One-Two, then Echo One-Three.
Finally, it settled on Dmitri. The weapon assembly followed the same order.
Rex stood directly beside him.
The light briefly crossed the dog’s body before continuing, but the weapon did not adjust toward him.
The second Attack Dog received the same treatment.
Dmitri narrowed his eyes.
"Biological screening complete."
"Viral markers detected in four human subjects."
"Threat classification confirmed."
"Initiating termination protocol."
Several lights along the machine’s frontal plating changed from white to red. Its weapon assembly locked onto Echo One-One.
"Scatter!"
Dmitri grabbed Rex by the collar and pulled him aside.
The machine fired.
A short burst struck the concrete where Echo One-One had been standing a moment ago. Fragments scattered across the road as the Scout dove toward the embankment.
Echo One-Two and Echo One-Three separated in opposite directions.
"Return fire!" Dmitri shouted.
Suppressed gunshots followed.
Their MP7 rounds struck the machine’s frontal plating. Sparks appeared across its armored body, but it did not stop.
Meanwhile, its robotic voice echoed once more.
"Hostile retaliation detected."
"Requesting additional security reinforcements."
At the end of its speech, the machine adjusted its weapon toward Echo One-Three. Rex crossed between them.
"Warning: non-hostile canine obstructing firing solution. Adjusting fire angle."
The burst immediately halted as the robot shifted its weapon away.
Its next burst struck farther to the side, missing both the dog and the Scout behind him.
Dmitri’s eyes widened at the sudden change. What just happened?!
"One-Three, move behind Rex!"
The Scout did not question the order and shifted closer to the Attack Dog.
The machine tracked him, but its weapon hesitated whenever Rex blocked the line of fire.
Dmitri tightened his grip on his MP7. It simply won’t shoot the dogs.
The second Attack Dog ran toward its handler.
The machine’s weapon moved toward Echo One-Two, then adjusted upward when the dog crossed in front of him.
"Smoke!" Dmitri ordered.
Echo One-One pulled a grenade from his equipment and threw it toward the middle of the road.
White smoke erupted between Echo One and the machine, blocking a direct line of sight.
The machine continued firing.
Rounds passed through the smoke and struck the concrete embankment. Its accuracy had weakened, but the bursts still followed the Scouts whenever they changed position.
"Its line of sight is blocked," Dmitri shouted. "Full retreat!"
He did not want to spend any second longer near this area. The robot had already called for reinforcements. As for whatever it was, Dmitri was not interested to know.
The Scout stopped firing and ran.
The machine stepped through the smoke.
Its four mechanical legs moved independently, allowing its armored body to remain stable despite the uneven road. Several red lenses scanned through the thinning cloud.
"Smoke obstruction detected."
"Switching to thermal optics."
A low hum emitted from within the machine.
"Contaminated subjects attempting escape."
"Termination protocol remains active."
The weapon turned toward Dmitri.
He pushed Rex ahead of him.
The machine followed Dmitri’s movement but did not fire while the dog remained directly between them.
His eyes narrowed as he observed the robot’s strange behavior.
"Rex, stay close."
"Woof!"
The dog obeyed.
The machine advanced several more meters before stopping near the edge of the outer approach. Its lenses continued tracking the four Scouts, but it did not pursue them farther along the channel.
It remained still fifty meters beyond the thick wall, not crossing beyond the outer approach.
"One-One, distance?"
"Almost eighty meters!"
"Keep moving!"
Echo One passed the first utility structure.
The concrete wall gradually disappeared behind the bend, but Dmitri could still hear the machine’s mechanical steps.
Another burst struck the edge of the building.
Echo One-One threw a second smoke grenade.
The cloud expanded across the narrow service path. The bend and the concrete utility structure blocked the machine’s remaining view.
Dmitri waited until every Scout and both dogs had passed him. Then he followed.
They continued retreating beside the channel for several minutes. No machine emerged from the smoke behind them.
Dmitri raised one fist.
Echo One stopped near the side of another concrete structure.
"Check yourselves," he ordered.
The Scouts inspected their equipment and bodies.
"One-One?"
"Clear."
"One-Two?"
"No injuries."
"One-Three?"
"Still breathing."
Dmitri looked toward both dogs.
Neither had been struck.
Rex remained alert, but his body had relaxed slightly now that the outer perimeter was no longer visible.
Echo One-Two leaned against the wall and released a breath.
"What the hell was that?"
"Automated security," Echo One-One answered. "Didn’t expect this facility to be this well-secured."
"I know that. I meant the infection part."
No one responded.
Dmitri looked back toward the direction of the perimeter. The machine had scanned all six of them. It had detected something from the four Scouts.
But not from the dogs.
Even while firing, it had repeatedly changed its aim whenever one of the dogs crossed its path. That was no simple coincidence.
"Squad leader?" Echo One-Three called.
Dmitri turned toward him.
"The machine avoided the dogs."
The Scouts looked at Rex and the second Attack Dog.
Echo One-Two frowned.
"Maybe it only targets humans."
"Then it wouldn’t have scanned them," Dmitri replied.
He remembered the light passing over Rex’s body. The machine had examined the dog and moved on.
It had examined the Scouts and called them infected.
"Let’s not speculate more," he let out a deep breath. "Return to base. Our mission ends here."
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